Electrical Switches

An electrical switch is used to turn ON and OFF the flow of electricity in a circuit. In the “ON” position, it connects the conductors and allows the flow of current. In the “OFF” position, the switch separates two conductors and prevents the flow of electric current.

Activity Overview

Students will build or acquire an electrical switch, connect it to a microcontroller and use Excel’s Data Streamer Add-in to visualize real-time sensor data.

Harnessing Electricity to Communicate

Students build a telegraph out of everyday objects to understand electrical energy and its role in communications. Then, they use a customized workbook to send and receive information in Morse code using their telegraph.